Agricultural apparatus.



D. T. PHILLIPS.

AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS.

Arrmunxon Hmm JUNI.' 14, 1m.

1 ,1 1 3,684. Patented oet. 13, 1914.

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D. T. PHILLIPS. AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS.

APPLIUATIOH FILED nmz 14, 1912.

1,1 13,684. I Patented 011113,1914

"UNTTED sTATEs PATENT envien.

DARIUS T. PHILLIPS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS.

T 0 all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, DARIUs T. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew Improvements in Agricultural Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in agricultural machines or implements, and has more particular reference to machines or apparatus for preparing the ground for planting or seeding purposes.

Primarily the object of my invention is to provide an improved machine which will, in one operation, rapidly and effectively alter or change the condition of the ground or earth from its after-harvest solid or massed condition to ya granulated or pnlverized condition, ready to be planted or seeded.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved machine or apparatus of this character which will be simple, strong and reliable in construction and capable of withstanding the abuses to which apparatus of this character is subjected, and

which will be effective and efficient and require a minimum amount of power for its operation.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, hereinafter appearing, my invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination ,and arrangement of parts herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention, and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings-Figure l is a general top plan view of a structure embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the unit implements or ap paratus structures embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation thereof looking at the front of the structure in a direction substantially at right angles to the View illustrated by Fig. 2, part of said structure being shown in section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a partial transverse section substantially on a line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is in a sense adiagram-- matic view of the engine and driving connections for the several rotating parts of the apparatus.

In the drawings I have illustrated my in- Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed June 14, 1912. Serial No. 703,619.

ventio-n in connection with a structure embodying a wheeled mounting or supporting frame drawn by the usual farm draft animals, andvin connection with that type of appara-tus known as gang apparatus, where- 1n unit operating parts are multiplied for the purpose of handling a greater width or tract of land as the apparatus travels. It will lbe understood, however, by o-ne skilled in the art after having obtained an understanding of my invention from the disclosures herein made, that my invention is not limited or restricted in any sense to the structure herein described and shown, but on the contrary is readily adaptable to various other structures which operating and manufacturing conditions determine to be best suited to particular requirements.

In the drawings'the operating parts are illustrated as being mounted upon or supportedl by a frame A which resembles an ordinary gang plow frame in that it has several supporting wheels B and the usual tongue or shaft C connected to some of the wheels in such manner as to turn properly on curves or corners. I have also shown a pair of beams D similar to gang plow beams, mounted upon the frame and having a cross member D1 at their forward ends to which the draft animals may be hitched. The beams D may be pivotally mounted similar to gang plow beams upon the frame, so that the operating parts may be raised and lowered as desired. The drawings illustrate a structure having a gang of two operating units or mechanisms E, but it` will be understood, of course, that the number of units in the gang and in their particular relative arrangement may be determined by various factors, such as the width or strip of land to be handled. Sincethese operatin units are similar, a description of one of t em in detail will be suiiicient,

It will be seen that the rear ends of the supporting beams D turn downwardly, and it is upon the depending ends D2 which I lprefer to mount the operating mechanisms.

Upon the extreme lower ends D3 of the beams is a peculiarly formed member F which eX- tends o-r projects generally horizontally and which is disposed in a general angular direction to the direction of travel of the apparatus. This member F resembles and preferably is fo-rmed like the share and mold board of a plow. It has a broad uxardly curved portion or mold-board 1, the forward portion or edge 2 of which drops at a sharper angle downwardly than the mold-board and terminates at its extreme forward end 3 in a sharp point which facilitates the cutting of the earth and the formation of a furrow as the a' paratus travels. This plow-like member may, in addition, have a land side 5 when used as the last or outer end member of the gang of series of units, this landside being generally omitted on the remaining or forward members, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The mold-board portion 1 is preferably curved upwardly on the arc of a circle, as

shown in section in Fig. 4. It is supported rigidly in relation to the beam by a couple of suitably curved braces 6 which extend from the rear upper edge 7 of the moldboard to the bridge beam or member 8. A portion of this bridge beam, as Will be seen, lies above the apparatus substantially in the line parallel with the general longitudinal axis of the plow like member F, and another portion 81 thereof inclines more sharply forward to the beam D to which it is firmly attached, the purpose of this arrangement being to rigidly brace and strengthen the entire structure. The outer end 82 of the bridge beam drops or turns downwardly into a vertical position and forms at its lower end a bearing 83 for a horizontal shaft S. The other end of this shaft is journaled in a suitably formed bearing 84 in the beam D. The shaft preferably lies in the axial center of the curve or arc of the mold-board portion 1, as before intimated This shaft carries a rotary mechanism or granulating device, which in thisembodiment of m invention is preferably made in the form o a spiral cutter. This mechanism is preferably arranged to rotate rearwardly and upwardly away from the forward lower or cutting edge portion 2 of the member F, as indicated by the arrow in Fig.. 4. This .mechanism operates in such manner that, as the plow-like member F forms a furrow in the ground and turns the broken earth over upon itself, the

rotary cutting mechanism takes the broken earth and by means of a spiral action moves it along the moldboard toward the outer end thereof, at the same time pulverizing or granulating it to such conditionthat when the pulverized earth leaves the outer end portion of the mold-board and again drops u on the ground it will be in condition to be p anted without further manipulation. For theipurpose of more effectively. cutting 0r granulatin the earth I provide the spiral or rotary mec anism with aplurality of radi- 'allyl disposed teeth or cutting knives F1 (Fig. 4) `which, as is seen, extend, or project almost into contact with the mold-board, but which sufficiently clear the mold-board as to not interfere therewith. My invention has another imgirtant advantage in the fact that it not only reduces the earth to a finely granulated or pulverized condition, but itV also cuts any stalk or other similar material usually found on cultivated land, into fine pieces to such an extent that they ldo not interfere with the planters or other agricultural apparatus Which goes over the ground afterward. To facilitate the cutting of the stalk I provide a series of stationary cutting blades 10, which are secured to the mold-board, and which operate as shears in conjunction with the knives or teeth F1L of the rotary mechanism. As shown more particularly in Fig. 4, these stationary knives are inclined upwardly so as to facilitate the cutting or shearing action which takes place. These stationary knives also serve to dislodge the dirt or stalks which might otherwise become lodged between the spirals of the rotary mechanism and be carried up and over again on the forward portion r,of the plow-member F. In other` words, they serve to clear the rotary mechanism of any particles which become lodged therein.

To facilitate the manufacture of the rotary spiral cutting mechanism I prefer to construct it by building it up of a number of individual or separate disks, as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 3. These disks may be lformed by any suitable manufacturing method and spaced apart on the shaft S by spacing sleeves S1. One end of the series of disks on the shaft may bear against a shoulder S2, and a suitable clamping pressuremay be obtained to hold the disks firmly on the shaft by threading the outer end portion of the shaft and providing a set of clamping or pressure nuts S". The portion of the shaft between the clamping nuts S3 and the shoul, der S2, occupied by the disks, may be squared in section, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that the disks may be securely mounted upon the shaft against relative rotation thereon.

In forming the cutters the teeth or cutting knives F1 thereof may be offset so that one disk ,will form a continuation, so to speak, of the other adjacent disk and a progressive spiral thereby produced. In order that some of the teeth or knives of the rotary mechanism may properly coperate with the stationary knives 10, a corresponding tooth or knife F2 may be offset slightly more than the otherteeth in such manner as to pass .close to. or in sliding contact with the stating edges F42 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

While I might gear or connect the rotary cutting or pulverizing mechanisms with the supporting wheels B of the apparatus to secure the necessary dpower to rotate them, -I

find that this metho is more or less unsatisfactory, especially where more than one unit is used, and I prefer instead to vdrive the rotarymechanism by a separate source of tions.

power, such as a gasolene engine G, mounted upon the frame A of the apparatus. In

Figs. l and 5 I have illustrated one way in which these mechanisms may be connected with and driven from a single engine. It will be seen that in mounting a gang of these units upon the frame, one unit is positioned in the rear of the one in front in such manner that the forward end of one unit is substantially transversely alined with the inner rear end l5 of the mold-board of the unit immediately preceding it. The shafts S, however, of all the units are parallel, and by providing suitable sprockets S5 on the inner end of the several shafts a single driving chain S6 may be used. As shown more clearly in Fig. 5 this chain may extend around a sprocket G1 on the engine shaft, and from thence around the several sprockets S5 of the shafts S, the engine being generally angularly disposed on the frame, as shown in Fig. 1, to facilitate and properly line up with these several driving connec- I provide an idler S7 on a suitable arm or member S8 of the frame for the purpose of raising the lower reach of the chain between the units, so as to more effectively clear the operating parts and allow sufficient slack in the chain to allow for the raising and lowering of the several unit mechanisms. I find that a decided advantage is gained in the action of the rotary cutters by providing a suitable fly wheel J on each of their shafts S, preferably at the other ends of said shafts. These fly wheels should be heavy enough and properly proportioned and balanced, and their effect is to steady the cutting and pulverizing action of the rotary cutters. The' effect isv much more pronounced when the fly wheelsAJ are placed directly in the shafts S. It is obvious, however,`that the rotary cutting mechanism may be driven in any suitable manner found best adapted to the particular requirements.

What I claim is 1. An agricultural machine of the class described, comprising an earth digging and loosening member formed to receive the loosened earth, in combination with a rotary spiral pulverizwing mechanism disposed above said member .with its axis in the general line of movement of the earth along said digging member; and adapted to reduce the loosened earth to pulverized condition and positively discharge it beyond the line of travel of said digging member, stationary cutters projecting from said digging member into the general confines of said spiral mechanism for cutting stalks and other material and clearing said stalks and other material from said spiral mechanism, and a traveling supporting frame for said parts. l l

2. A mechanism for agricultural apparatus comprising an earth digging and loosening device having a receiving portion upon which the earth is thrown, in combination with a rotary cutter mechanism positioned to positively force the loosened earth along said receiving portion and pulverize it, stationary cutters projecting into shearing relation with said rotary cutter mechanism, and a fly 'wheel directly connected to said rotarv pulverizing mechanism for steadying the action thereof.

3. In agricultural apparatus of the class described, the combination of an earth digging and loosening member adapted to be propelled along and having a curved receiving board upon which the earth is thrown by said digging member, a rotary pulverizing mechanism having a plurality of spirally arranged cutters adapted to expel the earth from said board and simultaneously reduce it to a pulverized condition, and a plurality of stationary cutters cooperating with said rotary cutters for cutting stalks and other material and for clearing said rotary cutters of articles which become lodged between.

4. In agricultural apparatus of the class described, the combination of an earth digging and loosening member adapted to be propelled along and having a curved receiving board upon which the earth is thrown by said digging member, a rotary .pulverizing mechanism having a plurality of spirallyl arranged cutters adapted to expel the earth from said board and simultaneously reduce it to a pulverized condition, and a plurality of stationary cutters coperating with said rotary cutters for cutting stalks and other material and for clearing said rotary cutters of articles which become lodged between, and a iy wheel directly connected to said rotary pulverizing mechanism.

5. In an agricultural apparatus of the class described, the combination of a traveling earth digging and loosening member diagonally disposed with respect to the line of travel thereof and having an upwardly curved mold board portion for receiving from said member the loosened earth, a rotary pulverizing mechanism operating adjacent to said mold board portion and having a plurality of cutting knives arranged in a spiral, and adapted towork the loosened earth along said mold board portion and simultaneously reduce it to pulverized condition, and a plurality of stationary cutting knives coperating with said spirally disposed cutting kigives and adapted to shear stalks and similar articles.

6. In an agricultural apparatus o f the class described, the combination of a traveling earth digging and loosening member diagonally disposed with respect to the line of travel thereof and having an upwardly fcurved. mold board portion for receiving from saidkmember; the loosened earth, a rotary pulverizing mechanism operating adjacent to said mold board portion and having a plurality of cutting knives arranged in a spiral, and adapted'to work the loosened earth along said mold board portion and simultaneously reduce it to pulverized condition, a plurality of stationary cutting knives cooperating withA said spirally disposed cutting knives and adapted to shear stalks and similar articles, a wheeled frame supporting said parts, and an engine mounted upon said frame and connected to said rotary mechanism for driving the same.

7. Inagricultural apparatus of the class described, the combination of a traveling wheeled frame, a depending beam thereon, an earth digging and loosening member supported by said beam and disposed diagonally with respect to the line of travel of said apparatus, said member having a diagonally disposed upwardly curved mold board portion upon which the loosened earth is thrown by said digging member, a shaft disposed substantially parallel with said curved mold board portion and having a plurality of radially disposed cutting knives arranged in spiral form, 'a` plurality of stationary knives outstanding from said mold board and adapted to coperate with some of said radial knives to shear stalks and similar material thrown upon said mold board, an engine mounted upon said frame, a driving connection between said engine and said shaft for rotating said shaft and causing the loosened earth thrown upon said mold board portion to be pulverized by said knives, and a fly wheel vdirectly mounted upon the shaft for steadying the operation o the knives.

8. The combination of a broad curved plow member upon which the earth is turned as it is dug thereby and a rotary series of cutters arranged lin a progressive spiral with their ends working in close proximity to said plow member, operating to pulverize the earth thrown upon said plow member and positively eject it therefrom, and cutting blades outstanding from said plow member into shearing relation with said rotary blades.

9. An agricultural machine of the class described comprising an earth digging and loosening member formed to receive the loosened earth, in combination with a rotary pulverizing mechanism disposed adjacent said member with its axis in the general line of movement of the earth along said digging member and being adapted to reduce the loosened earth to-pulverized condition, and stationary cutting means ad]acent said pulverizing mechanism and cooperating therewith for cutting stalks and other material and clearing said Astalks and other material from said pulverizing mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 12th day of June A. D. 1912.

DARIUS T. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. SEEM, EDGAR FRANCIS BEAUBIEN. 

